Endangered Species in Minnesota

County Distribution of Federally-Listed Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, and Candidate Species

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For additional information about threatened and endangered species in Minnesota, contact the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service office at 4101 E. 80th Street, Bloomington, Minnesota 55425-1665 (612-725-3548)

Bald Eagle

Bald eagles are no longer protected under the federal Endangered Species Act and Section 7 consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is no longer necessary. However, the bald eagle remains protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Information about Bald Eagles

Information about Eagle Permits and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act

Gray Wolf

The Gray Wolf population that includes Minnesota was removed from the list of threatened and endangered species and is no longer protected under the Endangered Species Act.

County	Species	Status	Habitat
Aitkin	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Anoka	No listed species present
Becker	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Beltrami	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Benton	No listed species present
Big Stone	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
Big Stone	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Blue Earth	No listed species present
Brown	Prairie bush-clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
Carlton	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Carver	No listed species present
Cass	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Chippewa	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
Chippewa	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Chisago	Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii)	Endangered	St. Croix River
	Spectaclecase (Cumberlandia monodonta)	Endangered	St. Croix River
	Snuffbox (Epioblasma triquetra)	Endangered	Small to medium-sized creeks and some larger rivers, in areas with a swift current
	Winged mapleleaf (Quadrula fragosa)	Endangered	St. Croix River
Clay	Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii)	Candidate	Large (>350 acre) patches of grassland - prefer native grassland, but also use non-native planted grasslands.
	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadow
Clearwater	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Cook	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Cook	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Critical Habitat	Map of critical habitat in Minnesota
Cottonwood	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Cottonwood	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Gravelly soil in dry to mesic prairies
Crow Wing	No species listed
Dakota	Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii)	Endangered	Mississippi River
Dakota	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
Dodge	Dwarf trout lily (Erythronium propullans)	Endangered	North facing slopes and floodplains in deciduous forests
Dodge	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
Douglas	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Faribault	No listed species present
Fillmore	Leedy's roseroot (Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. leedyi)	Threatened	Cool, wet groundwater-fed limestone cliffs
Freeborn	No listed species present
Goodhue	Dwarf trout lily (Erythronium propullans)	Endangered	North facing slopes and floodplains in deciduous forests
	Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii)	Endangered	Mississippi River
	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
Grant	No listed species present
Hennepin	Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsi)	Endangered	Mississippi River
Houston	Eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus)	Candidate	Floodplain wetlands and nearby upland areas along the Mississippi River and Tributaries
Houston	Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii)	Endangered	Mississippi River
Hubbard	No species listed
Isanti	No species listed
Itasca	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Jackson	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
Kanabec	No species listed
Kandiyohi	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Kittson	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadows
Koochiching	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Koochiching	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Critical Habitat	Map of lynx critical habitat in Minnesota
Lac Qui Parle	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
Lac Qui Parle	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Lake	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Lake	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Critical Habitat	Map of lynx critical habitat in Minnesota
Lake of the Woods	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Lake of the Woods	Piping plover (Charadrius melodus) Northern Great Plains Breeding Population	Threatened; and Critical Habitat	Sandy beaches, islands Map of Critical Habitat Unit (1-page PDF)
Le Sueur	No listed species present
Lincoln	Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)	Endangered	Prairie rivers and streams
	Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)	Critical Habitat
	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadow
Lyon	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Mahnomen	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Marshall	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Martin	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
McLeod	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Meeker	No listed species present
Mille Lacs	No listed species present
Morrison	No listed species present
Mower	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
Mower	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadows
Murray	Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)	Endangered	Prairie rivers and streams
	Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)	Critical Habitat
	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Nicollet	No listed species present
Nobles	Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)	Endangered	Prairie rivers and streams
	Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)	Critical Habitat
	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadow
Norman	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadows
Olmsted	Leedy's roseroot (Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. leedyi)	Threatened	Cool, wet groundwater-fed limestone cliffs
Olmsted	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
Otter Tail	No species listed
Pennington	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadows
Pine	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
Pine	Spectaclecase (Cumberlandia monodonta)	Endangered	St. Croix River
Pipestone	Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)	Endangered	Prairie rivers and streams
	Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)	Critical Habitat
	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadows
Polk	Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii)	Candidate	Large (>350 acre) patches of grassland - prefer native grassland, but also use non-native planted grasslands.
	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadows
Pope	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
Pope	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Ramsey	Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii)	Endangered	Mississippi River
Ramsey	Winged mapleleaf (Quadrula fragosa)	Endangered	St. Croix River
Red Lake	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadow
Redwood	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
Renville	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
Rice	Dwarf trout lily (Erythronium propullans)	Endangered	North facing slopes and floodplains in deciduous forest
Rice	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
Rock	Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)	Endangered	Prairie rivers and streams
	Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)	Critical Habitat
	Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya)	Threatened	Native prairie on well-drained soils
	Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara)	Threatened	Wet prairies and sedge meadows
Roseau	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
	Sprague's pipit (Anthus spragueii)	Candidate	Large (>350 acre) patches of grassland - prefer native grassland, but also use non-native planted grasslands.
	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
St. Louis	Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) Great Lakes Breeding Population	Endangered and Critical Habitat Designated in this county	Sandy beaches, islands
	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Threatened	Northern forest
	Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)	Critical Habitat	Map of lynx critical habitat in Minnesota
Scott	No listed species present
Sherburne	No listed species present
Sibley	No listed species present
Stearns	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Steele	Dwarf trout lily (Erythronium propullans)	Endangered	North facing slopes and floodplains in deciduous forests
Stevens	No listed species present
Swift	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
Swift	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Todd	No listed species present
Traverse	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
Traverse	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Wabasha	Eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus)	Candidate	Floodplain wetlands and nearby upland areas along the Mississippi River and Tributaries
	Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii)	Endangered	Mississippi River
	Sheepnose (Plethobasus cyphyus)	Endangered	Mississippi River
	Spectaclecase (Cumberlandia monodonta)	Endangered	Mississippi River
Wadena	No listed species present
Waseca	No listed species present
Washington	Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii)	Endangered	Mississippi River
	Snuffbox (Epioblasma triquetra)	Endangered	Small to medium-sized creeks and some larger rivers, in areas with a swift current
	Spectaclecase (Cumberlandia monodonta)	Endangered	St. Croix River
	Winged mapleleaf (Quadrula fragosa)	Endangered	St. Croix River
Watonwan	No listed species present
Wilkin	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie
Winona	Eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus)	Candidate	Floodplain wetlands and nearby upland areas along the Mississippi River and Tributaries
	Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsi)	Endangered	Mississippi River
	Sheepnose (Plethobasus cyphyus)	Endangered	Mississippi River
	Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis)	Endangered	Pine barrens and oak savannas on sandy soils and containing wild lupines (Lupinus perennis), the only known food plant of larvae.
Wright	No listed species present
Yellow Medicine	Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)	Candidate	Native prairie habitat
Yellow Medicine	Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek*)	Candidate	Native Prairie

*Poweshiek Skipperling - This list includes counties where Poweshiek skipperling has been confirmed within the past 25 years (1986 or later). Due to the sharp declines in the last several years, the list may include counties in which the species no longer occurs. Nevertheless, we recommend that agencies contact the Twin Cities Ecological Services Field Office if undertaking or planning projects that may affect Poweshiek skipperling habitat in these counties.

List Revised March 2012

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